Means for securing the fastenings of railway or tramway rails at the joints.



I0 MODEL.

1 Nb. 760,586. PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

' J. EJTONKIN, w. AMBSfGz w. E. H. NIGOLLE.- MEANS FOR SECURINGTHBFASTENINGS or RAILWAY 0R TRAMWAY RAILS AT THE JOINTS.

, APPLIOATION nun r21 24, mos.

YNB mums PETiRS (0.. vnmmuwu, wuumnrcu. n. c.

T UNITED ES Patented may 24, 1904."

PATENT OFFICE-17 JAMEs EBENEZER TONKIN, OF oAMRER'DowN, NEAR sY NEY,WILLIAM AM s, OF NORTH SYDNEY, NEAR SYDNE AND WILLIAM EUGENE HORTNICOLLE, oE BEECROFT, NEAR SYDNEY, NEW soUTH w LEs,

AUSTRALIA. A

MEANS FOR SECURING THE FASTENIN GS F RAILWAY 0R TRAMWAY RAILS AT THElOlNTS.,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,586, dated May 24,1904.

Application filed February 24,1903. Serial No. 144.811. (No mbdel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,.JAMEs EBENEZ R ToN- KIN. residing at; MissendenRoad, Camperdown, HeaISydDey, WILLIAM AMEs, residing at West street,North. Sydney, near Sydney, 7 j and WILLIAM EUGENE HoR'r, NIooL E,resi'd-.

ing at Beecroft, near Sydney, in the State of New South Wales,Australia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means 1for Securing the Fastenings of Railway or Tramway Rails at the Joints;and we do hereso secure them as to prevent their possible displacementor disarrangement by any of the ordinary influences which are known tooperate'disadvantageously in the working of railway rolling-stock andwhich necessitates careful daily supervision to insure immunity from 5danger or damage. The parts most affected by vibration or jarring may beretained by this device in their correct relative positions for anindefinite period, and thereby "the frequent visits of inspection byresponsible per;

3 sons are rendered unnecessary. To minimize cost of adaptation, theexisting parts,comprising fish-plates and bolts, are utilized, as inrailway practice, although a special form of fishplate is hereinafterdescribed suitable for the purposes set forth. 1 In theaecompanying'drawings, which form part of this specification, Figurelshows separately the serviceable parts of the invention. Fig. 2 is asectional plan showing the same 4 parts in combination secured. Fig. 3is an end view to illustrate the springcatch. Fig. 4 shows inperspective the jointed rail with locking-plate removed. Fig. is asimilar View to Fig. 4 with lock-plate -in position.

Fig. 6 shows in plan the fish-plate varied in form to receive alock-plate with turned ends.

. end to receive it.

Fig. 7 shows in plan'the fish-plate varied in form to receive a straightlock-plate. Fig. 8 is an ordinary fish-plate with supportingrpinstocarry a lock-plate.

The grouped parts (shown in Fig.1) consist of the fish-plate A, theclamping-plate B, and the lock-plate (J. The holesD. are common to allfish-plates and are fitted with the usual bolts E. (Wale Figs. 2, 4, 5,6, and 7.) The clamping-plate B is similarly'pierced to correspond withthe fish-plateA and is provided for the purpose of forthwithaccommodating this invention to existing railway-lines, so as tominimize the cost of its immediate adaptation; but the invention furtherprovides for converting a fish-plate into aclamping-plate, so that thelock-plate C may be supported thereon, in which case the folded ends F,shown on the plate B, will, as in Fig. 7 be formed upon the fish-plateA. The clampingplate would in these circumstancesbeheld in position, asshown in Figs. 2, 5, and 7, it being merely a flat bar having the gaps Gto secure the nuts H. This plate is prevented from rising by theoutward. set or spring-catch I, formed on the ends, (oi/[e Fig. 3,) itbeing likewise retained by a similar catch J, formed at the bottom ofthe folded ends F. These catches have inclined faces which wedge'againsteach other, but do not look by square shoulders or equivalent means.This plate may consist of an angle-iron, as shown in dotted line inFig. 1. In Fig. 6 the lock-plate C has the folded ends F, and thefish-plate A is turned outward at each These devices are but alternativemeans of accomplishing the same object under varying conditions. In Fig.8 the fish-plate A has the supporting-pins K, which are used to retain astraight clamping-plate, such as is'shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 7. Agapwould of course be provided at the ends of the plate, so that whendropped in position it would not only rest upon each of the nuts H, butwould also be prevented by the broad heads of the pins K from looseningand falling out of position.

It is obvious that this simple appliance may I be adapted to allexisting forms of railwayto accommodate them to the gaps in thelocking-plate C. This plate when once placed in position between thefolded ends F will effectually prevent the disarrangement of the nuts.The washers are not indispensible, as it is found in practice possibleto adjust the nuts upon the fish-plate alone or upon the clamping-platecovering the fish-plate.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declarethat What we claim is 1. In combination with a pair of railwayrails andtheir fastening-bolts, apair of plates, which extend across the joint ofthe rails and overlap at their ends and are provided withmeans'for'preventing the nuts of the said bolts from turning, the innerplate being provided with holes, through which the said bolts pass,

the outer plate being vertically removable, and the overlapping ends ofthe plates being provided with locking parts, having inclined faces incontact with each other substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a pair of railwayrails and their fastening-bolts,a pair of plates which extend across the joint of the said rails and areprovided with means for preventing the nuts of the said bolts fromturning, the inner plate being provided with holes through which thesaid bolts pass and having its ends F bent forward around and front ofthe ends of the outer plate and the said ends and the proximate parts ofthe outer plate being provided with looking parts J I having inclinedfaces substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto affixed our signatures in presenceof two witnesses.

JAMES EBENEZER 'lONKlN. WlllhlAlll AMES. WILLIAM EUGENE llOlt'l'NIOOIIIIE.

Witnesses: v

H. A. RUSSELL, JOHN J L STON E.

